


An Inkling of Affection (And a Hint of Love)

by MisterMatthew



Series: I Ink, Therefore I am. [2]
Category: Splatoon
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Declarations Of Love, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Kissing, Love Confessions, Self-Doubt, Self-Esteem Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-10-03 06:02:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17278451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MisterMatthew/pseuds/MisterMatthew
Summary: After Agent Eight sustains an injury on a mission, she wakes to a find certain inkling by her bedside.In a moment of respite and intimacy, Three wrestles with her guilt and self doubt and a certain octoling's true feelings towards her are brought to light.One shot taking place  within my other Splatoon work "Space Invader!" but can also be read on its own too.





	An Inkling of Affection (And a Hint of Love)

A bright light pierced her closed eyelids like the gentle rays of dawn on a lazy morning. Her sight consisted of a warm red colour as the light shone through. Slowly, Eight’s eyes opened to a squint as her eyes burned, the intense brightness assaulting her vision

She felt sensation in her hand. Touch. Something warm engulfed it. It felt smooth and soft against her weathered palms. Fingers intertwined with hers as a hand slid into her own. 

She strained to open her eyelids as they stubbornly fought her. Slowly the room came into focus. The pale whiteness of the place, the shimmering lights overhead and the blurry figure beside her. A medical bay.

They were slumped in a large armchair within arm's length of her. Eight strained to bring them into focus as her eyes adjusted. 

A sleeping Inkling came into view. Beneath her closed eyes hung creased bags. Her orange tenta-locks hung loosely from her scalp, thrown messily over her shoulder. She was in a comfortable-looking shirt with a simple squid design, a size too small, showing a tinge of her midriff. 

Eight frowned. No, not a squid. An octopus.  
She felt herself go warm at the thought, as she processed a surge of affection for the sleeper.

Eight looked at their intertwined hands. The Inkling must have reached for her hand unconsciously as she slept. She could feel her hand in their tight grip, not painfully so, just enough that she couldn't easily separate their fingers. Not that she would want to. She was happy right where she was.

She tried to lift herself out of the bed she’d been laying on. Her ribs protested as they ringed painfuly against her chest. Her head felt fuzzy but one thing was clear to her. 

After much pain and hassle, she managed to clamber onto the chair with the sleeping Inkling. Eight curled up beside her, resting her chin on her shoulder. The warmth at the contact engulfed her senses and made her feel toasty and held, like something precious. She sighed in contentment.

Three’s hot breath tickled her face as she slept. Cute little puffs escaped her lips alongside her breathing. She smiled at the Inkling’s sleeping form. Of their own accord, her eyes drifted closed and the warm embrace of sleep enveloped her.

 

Some time later, she stirred from her slumber as she felt movement from her Inkling cushion. Her eyes opened and met Three's groggy and sleepy gaze.

“Hey,” She whispered. Three looked at her sharply, like she'd just realised she was on top of her. 

Eight felt Three tense under her.  
‘Shhh,” She whispered directly into her ear softly  
She lightly buried her nose into the warm crook of her neck, provoking a startled squeak out of the Inkling. Her cool breath whispered along her jawline. Gradually, Three begun to relax against her  
Eight pulled back from her neckline. She was still new at this. She hadn't reached this level of intimacy with someone before. She took comfort in the fact that Three probably hadn't either.

Three began to take the initiative, as she got over her initial suprise. She took the Octoling’s cheeks between her hands, cradling her head softly and gently pulled her close, so as not to disturb her injured ribs. She planted a chaste kiss on her lips teasingly before deepening it as their lips met in a soft embrace.

Eight felt like her very soul was being poured out through her mouth at the contact. Everything was stripped away, there was nothing but the two of them. She didn't know where she ended and where Three began. The physical connection between them felt like the embodiment of the bond they had both felt when meeting each other. It had only grown stronger with time.

She felt a heat growing within her, a burning desire unlike that of which she'd felt before. She basked in the feeling. She felt content and desired more of it at the same time.

The Inkling's scent was intoxicating, like the smell of a hot and yummy hot chocolate on a cold winter evening. A smell that made your nose plead and made your mouth water. Her senses felt like they were going haywire.

Despite their differences, they fit together almost perfectly. One wouldn't have know they were different species, as their limbs tangled as they indulged on each other. 

Eight buried her hands into Three's unruly hair, her palm stroking the thick tenta-locks lightly as she ran her hands through the silky texture. Three seemed to enjoy the contact, as she arched her head into Eights palm. The pink haired cephalopod smiled fondly as she messaged the area around her partner's temple.

Their noses brushed as they locked their gazes to each other. Sea green met ember orange as they made eye contact. Eight could see so much affection shining through those bright green orbs it made her want to swoon.

Eight leaned in to capture her lips again. She tried to channel everything she felt for this girl through the contact. Her lips felt bloated and sore but she didn't care. She pressed the orange squid kid to the back of the chair, eager for more of her. 

Three reached out to draw her closer. As her hands pressed against her chest, Eight drew back, hissing as the pain in her ribs reawakened. 

She stumbled back and fell off the couch. The Octoling landed in a heap on the floor, groaning loudly.

Three sat up immediately, a concerned look stretching across her features. She picked her up carefully and sat her down back on the clinic bed. 

Eight watched as the concern turned to regret and then to self doubt and loathing. 

Three cringed away from her as she turned to the doorway. She must have been afraid she'd hurt her.

“Wait! Please,’ Eight called out desperately. She knew that if she didn't reach her now, she never would.

The Inkling paused at the doorway, turning back to look at her.  
“It was an accident, please don't blame yourself. For this or for what happened out I'm the field.” Her voice broke off but she pushed on, “My life is much better because of you. If you hadn't busted through that ceiling, I'd have been turned to...” She gulped as for a moment she considered what could have happened to her “To seafood in that Metro. If you hadn't taken me in, I’d probably have died alone on the streets at the hands of some Octoling hating thugs. I regret none of the events that led us to this point, because I never would have met you. All the pain, all the trials and tribulations I went through, you made them worth it. Just for being the person that you are. And I l- really like…,” She stammered as she tried to recover from her slip up. No, she would say it.  
“I love that person. Please believe me when I say that,” Tears begun to leak from her irises in great droves.

Three stood motionless in the doorway. Eight could see her internal struggle, the insecurities and self hatred beginning to pile up on her.  
“You don't need to be alone, don't deserve to be alone,” Eight's voice didn't crack this time, it remained steely and determined. “And I need you,” But her voice betrayed her at “you”.

She got to her feet, ignoring the pain in her chest as she stumbled towards her. It ringed across her body, but she tried to hide it for Three’s sake.

The Inkling remained worryingly silent. Eight reached out to her.  
“ Three…”

She was quiet for 30 long seconds of silence.  
“Th- Theresa,” She whispered finally, stuttering, “That's my name,”

A small smile broke out onto the Octoling's face. She could see that she wasn't ready to say it back, but she knew.  
“Kate. That's mine,”

As if coming out of a trance, they embraced each other, arms wrapping around each other like they were the only people in the world. To the Inkling and the Octoling standing together in the Splatoon's medical ward, they might as well have been.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing something this intimate or emotional so tell me if I've done something wrong or if this didn't work well. Thanks very much for reading.
> 
> If you didn't notice, 3's and 8's names are puns. (I can't seem to write anything without including a Dad-Joke level bad pun)  
> Kate- k-eight  
> Theresa- three-sa


End file.
